* Talked to David Shaw (and others) about how trendy it has become to compare Stanford to SEC teams.

Sure, there are some similarities in style of play on both sides of the ball — the Cardinal has more in common with the SEC than with the spread-dominated Pac-12. (Stanford also recruits SEC country, particularly metro Atlanta.)

But the similarities end with style of play and, as you’ll read below, they aren’t by design.

Here’s an early/unedited version of the story, which will appear in Thursday’s Mercury News and Bay Area News Group papers …

If there’s anything more fashionable than picking Stanford to face a team from the SEC in the national championship, it’s comparing Stanford to a team from the SEC.

Fans, pundits and even a few players have noticed the similarities in style of play.

Just don’t mention it around a certain Stanford coach.

“I don’t necessarily take it as a compliment,’’ said David Shaw, whose fifth-ranked Cardinal opens the season Saturday against San Jose State.

Like SEC teams, Stanford favors a suffocating defense and bruising running attack and final scores in the 20s.

Like SEC teams, Stanford prefers brute force over the slice-and-dice method favored by teams that use the spread offense.

It’s not a bad approach, given that the SEC has won the past seven national championships.

But that’s not why Stanford opts to beat its opponents into submission.

“We play the style of football I grew up with,’’ Shaw added. “It’s not because that’s the way they play at Alabama or LSU. That means nothing to us.’’

Shaw grew up in Union City admiring Bill Wash’s 49ers. He then played for Walsh at Stanford and counts the master as one of his mentors.

Another is Jon Gruden, the former Raiders coach who honed his philosophy while working under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay in the 1990s.

Holmgren, too, was a Walsh disciple.

“With what we do, you can draw a line from the 49ers of the 80s to Gruden … to here,’’ said Shaw, who worked for Gruden in Philadelphia and Oakland. “It’s the west coast passing game with a physical running game.

“It so happens that everyone (in the Pac-12) runs the spread.’’

Jim Harbaugh favors the ground-and-pound approach, as well. When he took the Stanford job in Dec. ’06 and brought Shaw with him from the University of San Diego, they settled on the Walsh-ian style of play.

The approach makes ample use of tight ends and fullbacks – positions that fit within Stanford’s recruiting parameters.

“It’s the right way for them to play because they can’t recruit speed the way other teams recruit speed,’’ former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said.

“David would never tip his hat to SEC. He and Jim went back to drawing board, and this style is the best fit. They built it brilliantly.’’

Neuheisel calls Stanford’s style “football in a phone booth.”

While other teams in the Pac-12 have gravitated to the spread offense, which uses the shotgun formation and eschews tight ends and fullbacks, the Cardinal under Harbaugh/Shaw has veered in the opposite direction.

Instead of deploying a fleet of 200-pound receivers, Stanford trots to the line of scrimmage with an array of 250-pound tight ends and fullbacks and the quarterback in the traditional position under center.

Then it makes ample use of pulling guards and off-tackle runs that, over the course of the game, wear down smaller defenses that have been built to stop the spread.

“I can see why people compare us to teams from the SEC,’’ said Stanford defensive end Henry Anderson, who grew up in Atlanta and is one of four defensive starters from SEC territory.

“You don’t usually see the spread with a team like Alabama. We’re more similar to SEC than we are to the spread teams of the Pac-12.’’

The similarities aren’t confined to offense. If anything, the comparison is more valid this season on the other side of the ball.

“Stanford always used to be able to score,’’ Neuheisel said. “The difference these days is their ability to play defense.’’

SEC defenses smother their opponents with schemes that rely on straight-ahead power over lateral quickness.

The linemen and linebackers are often bigger, and have longer arms, than counterparts from other leagues.

They’re more physical, too – they have to be in order to hold up in practice against their own team’s running game.

The cycle feeds on itself, whether it’s in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge or Stanford.

Just don’t tell Shaw.

“I’d rather have people say we’re old school,’’ he said. “That’s what makes me happy.’’

Jon Wilner

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Coach Shaw has done at outstanding job on the farm. I admire him in many ways and I completely get his disregard and lack of respect for the SEC. As a Black man I can honestly say, screw the South and the SEC. That’s one reason why I came to the West Coast, to get away from the legacy of race and the traditions of crackas.

At Stanford (and Duke) a Black man gets an education with a scholarship. Can’t say the same thing about SEC schools, except perhaps Vandy. Holy Moly, student athletes aren’t even guaranteed four full years of schooling in the SEC.

In this sense I’m indebted and eternally grateful to Stanford University. Our team goal this coming season is a Pac12 championship, and getting an 5 year extension.

All Right Now!

Coach Johnny Dawkins

The Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball
Stanford University

2012 NIT Champions

COUSIN MAYNARD

LOL johnny, yeah the bay area is a regular racial paradise, thats why we still had klan rallies right down our major boulevards just a few years ago…..

i grew up in castro valley hating the f**gy niners and the rest of the nfl idiots, and being educated in the castro valley unified school district so my opinion shouldnt be taken too seriously but here goes.

stanford lost to the team that got curb stomped by Bama, i dont care who your qb was, what bad calls you got screwed by, it aint happenin. the same stanford football team that had trouble putting away Scony in the rose bowl.

There is some quality talent on stanfords d, there was some quality in NDs too, especially up front and look how that turned out for ’em vs the SEC. Shane Skov my god hes as overrated as the some of the guys in the big ten

Stanford might could give South Carolina or UGA a game if some breaks went their way at home. bama or lsu? theyd pee their pants went they seen the backups walk on the field.

@ Cuzz, currently #2.. Cuzz, since you don’t knov Skov, nor football, judging by the nature of your comparison… ie those kinds of A beat B and B beat C, therefore A and is better than C and obviously will stomp the snot outta’m , are similar to polls, and not worth a roll of it… so we’ll just let the final scores be the judge…

As for your racist, homophobic, dim-witted education in the foothills of the southeastbay.. maybe the following could enlighten your skies…

“We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast amount of treasure and blood… It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, CORPORATIONS HAVE BEEN ENTHRONED AND AN ERA OF CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES WILL FOLLOW, AND THE MONEY POWER OF THE COUNTRY WILL ENDEAVOR TO PROLONG ITS REIGN **BY WORKING UPON THE PREJUDICES OF THE PEOPLE** UNTIL ALL WEALTH IS AGGREGATED IN A FEW HANDS and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war.”

— Letter from Lincoln to Col. William F. Elkins, Nov. 21, 1864, shortly before he was assassinated..

(CAPS AND ** are my emphasis)

Kerr

OT, but since someone else mentioned it…

… thats why we still had klan rallies right down our major boulevards just a few years ago…..

When did the KKK march on major streets in the Bay Area? Unless you are going to tell me “a few years ago” equals ~60 years ago in your mind, I’d like to see some citations.

COUSIN MAYNARD

there was a KKK rally right down redwood rd in castro valley every year til about ten years ago, when the guys from oakland came in and started raising hell about it, then the sherrifs didnt renew their parade permit and that was that.

now they must to suffer the indignation of driving their trucks up into the hills to have their rallys in secret like the rest of the racists in this part of the world, of which there are many and in all colors. theres your citation. back to football.

maddog, may i suggest you lay off your name sake

CardFan65

All well and good. Can we get this thing started already? Ready for some 2013 Stanford Football.

#GoCardOrGoHome

Trees Forever

I’m with 65. Let’s get this #PartyInTheBackfield STARTED!!!!

Darius

i’m definitely looking forward to saturday!! can’t wait to get the party started in the backfield and afterparty started in my homefield!! you’re all invited.

http://Svonlss@yahoo.com Scott

Ah yes! Lets get this #partyinthebackfield started

awaiting moderation

Of the articles I have read by Mr. J. W. This could be the most irresponsible. Shaw is NOT the heir of Walsh. Walsh drafted classic drop back passers like Montana, Men like Jerry Rice, Utilized Tight Ends who caught the ball first, like Russ Francis. I was at Stanford when “Thrill” Hill was playing, and we ran after establishing the pass with wideouts like Margerum (sp) Just like Walsh would in the pros. The idea that Stanford cannot recruit speed is just ignorant. Further, Stanford was once QB city. On a single Sunday in the 80s, no less than five former starting quarterbacks from the Farm started for their respective Pro teams. Does anyone really think the loosing coach in the last Superbowl started who he did because he favors big tight ends and the running game? You often dance with the ugly girl because she is whats available. Notice I did not say I danced with her. You got there first.

awaiting moderation

I regret deeply leaving Mr. James Lofton out of my censored article.

nubey`

This could be J Dub’s worst. Shaw is not the legacy of the West Coast Offense, and McGruder is the spawn of Belezebub.

J. Lofton, not Woody Hayes, Steve Dils not Bo the Scheklegruber,

Please someone help Coach Walsh back into his grave before he takes This Blog n shoves it. Running always followed the establishment of the pass. Walsh did not aim to score 20 a game.

Russ Francis Joe Montana, Ken Margerum, uh, Jerry Rice….someone name the one running back who carried for more than a thousand yards a season under Walsh- in college it was Nelson and he caught 50 passes a year to set NCAA records! In the pros- look it up.

Nor-Cal Scott

65- the great Russ Francis was not a draft pick of Bill “The Genius” Walsh. Francis, a TE from Univ of Oregon, was drafted by the NE Pats with the 16th overall selection in 1975.

The entire “Coaching Tree” subject puzzles me. Ok, they worked for X or Y, but probably also A, B, & C. Don’t you think they took a little bit from each Head Coach when they landed their first HC job? Of course they did. IMHO, this is just another media driven subject so they have something to write about.

nubey

Mr. Scott; don’t think either myself or “awaiting” stated he was drafted by Walsh, just that he was used in a West Coast – pass before dust kind of offense. Its Shaw as Spawn of Chuckie that has me laughing and perhaps agreeing. Oregon and New England certainly deserve mention and I erred. Kudos to you.

Trees Forever

Saw this on another website and agree 100%. Stanford embodies the student-athlete and that is the biggest difference vs. the SEC. Our players graduate, and even when they don’t play in the NFL they go on to do other great things.

Harold

Awaiting Moderation, I love your enthusiasm, but, really? “On a single Sunday in the 80s, no less than five former starting quarterbacks from the Farm started for their respective Pro teams.”

So — Elway, Plunkett, and who else?

awaiting moderation

Guy Benjamin, Turk Schonert, Steve Dills; two were named starters that wk due to injury. I kid you knot. May the $econd Choicers take that in their craw, along with Four Super Bowl Wins (has USC ever had a starter in the Superbowl?) and figger out what to do with it later.

astroboy_888

I’d be offended if someone compares Stanford to SEC as well. If Shaw declares that Stanford is running a version of Bill Walsh’s west coast offense. Then isn’t SEC more like Stanford rather than the other way around?

From a brand perspective of academic prestige, it is a down right insult to compare Stanford to SEC schools.

I think that is what Shaw is thinking, but just won’t say it publicly.

astroboy_888

Thought #2.

Stanford’s recent success started with Jim Harbaugh. Therefore, Bo Schembechler’s Michigan football influence on Stanford is much more appropriate. Michigan is a better academic brand to associate to Stanford than any of the SEC schools. Shaw would probably not scoff at this comparison.

Coach Johnny Dawkins

Have you guys ever talked to Coach Harbaugh about his experiences at Michigan? He’s estranged from his alma mater, and stated quite plainly that they guided athletes to easy majors. I believe he wanted to major in history but majored in basket weaving.

Coach Johnny

maddogsfavsnpiks

All the talk about Walsh’s quarterback-oriented, offensive-minded teams, college and pro, completely (and understandably given the media hype and the public’s induced relish for sensation) …completely forgets Walsh brought top-notch defense to his teams that had previously struggled in that phase of the game..

In the so-called west coast style of football, he preached, as a former boxer, to be the first to deliver a blow, whether it’s on the line, blocking or attacking, all facets.. It should not be surprising that his early major trades and draft choices included people like Ronnie Lott and various defensive ends/pass rushers, and his teams always featured the ability to run the ball – his better championship teams, included an explosive run-game…

Defense, control the line of scrimmage, strike the first blow where-ever the opposition is vulnerable…

awaiting moderation

Great Rabid One: I yield to your accuracy about blocking and “blowin’ up plays. Yet in the year before Walsh took over, the niners avg’d allowance to opponents was 21ppg. Walsh’s first year the offense took off, while the D fell off, allowing 26. Defense was always second to Walsh – check his college focus on the pro set and passes to RB, also his emphasis on pass completion with Cincy.

“This year, this team can play with anyone in the nation. We have had a player with his hands on a pass in the end zone that would have won the game in every game we played and lost”

Bill Walsh, Big Game Rally 1978

I note he did not speak about how defense wins championships.

Vic

“Sure, there are some similarities in style of play on both sides of the ball — the Cardinal has more in common with the SEC than with the spread-dominated Pac-12. (Stanford also recruits SEC country, particularly metro Atlanta.)”

Here’s another writer who’s an SEC hugger. Just because they recruit some kids out of SEC areas don’t make them SEC material. Heck, besides mostly Cali kids, they recruit more from Tx and Az. Mn has as many Ga kids on the roster.

Lover of Couisin Maynard’s Mom

Cousin Maynard – remember the time you walked in on me and your mom and you peed your pants? That was pretty damn funny! I know it was traumatic for you because everytime you start comparing teams from other conferences to the SEC teams you tend to get nervous that world will be upset again like on that memorable day. You can don’t have in fear though – just accept the fact that your distorted vision of SEC football is false and you will finally be able to overcome your fears! Tell your mom I said hi!